


100 Percent

by Finely Honed (jaqen_hgar)



Series: Imagine Tony & Bucky [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Amnesia, Bucky Barnes Feels, Fake Marriage, Happy Ending, M/M, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Requited Love, Tony Knows How Marriage Works, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 13:29:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3531071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaqen_hgar/pseuds/Finely%20Honed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span class="small">Prompt: Imagine Bucky quietly pining over Tony but refusing to do anything about it no matter what because of reasons. Tony is still working through his recent breakup with Pepper but after a rough Avengers mission ends up with amnesia. When Tony wakes up at the hospital he doesn't know who he is, where he is, what's going on, or who most of these people are, but he's 100% sure the stunning Bucky is his husband. And refuses to believe anyone who says otherwise.</span>
</p><p>He might have been hazy on some things, what with the really slow deep freeze time travel and HYDRA brainwashing he’d experienced, but Bucky was pretty sure this was <em>not</em> how people got married. Like, a hundred percent sure.</p><p>“Who the hell are these people?” Tony whispered. Only, he wasn’t really whispering. He probably <em>thought</em> he was whispering, but he was actually kind of hissing loudly, holding onto Bucky’s flesh and blood arm tight enough to cut off circulation. “And where is my ring?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	100 Percent

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [百分之百](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5202809) by [dianamiao](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dianamiao/pseuds/dianamiao)



> Originally posted over on [imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com](http://imaginetonyandbucky.tumblr.com/). Be sure to stop on over and also enjoy the amazing contributions of [Potrix](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Potrix/pseuds/Potrix), [27dragons](http://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons), [InnerCinema](http://archiveofourown.org/users/InnerCinema), and [kamaete](http://kamaete.tumblr.com/)!

He might have been hazy on some things, what with the really slow deep freeze time travel and HYDRA brainwashing he’d experienced, but Bucky was pretty sure this was  _not_  how people got married. Like, a hundred percent sure.

“Who the hell are these people?” Tony whispered. Only, he wasn’t really whispering. He probably  _thought_  he was whispering, but he was actually kind of hissing loudly, holding onto Bucky’s flesh and blood arm tight enough to cut off circulation. “And where is my ring?”

Not sure what else to do, Bucky gave Tony a comforting pat on the head, and began trying to pry his fingers loose. “Stop messing around. We were all really worried.”

“Seriously,” and this was quieter, and appropriately enough said in his serious tone of voice. Not the, ‘seriously, who ate my leftovers?’ voice, but the much, much worse, ‘I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I might have accidentally made this elevator sentient during my bender last night, and we’re all in terrible, terrible danger.’ voice.

Bucky stared down into Tony’s admittedly adorable puppy-like big brown eyes, and realized Tony was scared. He was also shooting glances around the room, as if they were being invaded.

“Hey,” Bucky whispered—an actual whisper—and allowed Tony to pull him down so he was seated on the side of the bed. “You okay? Should I get the doctor?”

"I dunno, maybe?"

As far as answers went, that was actually kind of terrifying. He’d seen Tony the time he’d accidentally stepped into the path of one of Clint’s arrows (Bucky was still hazy on why Clint was shooting them in the living room in the first place), and Tony had  _almost_  convinced them he’d be fine without medical help, until Steve had come home, taken one look at the arrow sticking out of Tony’s shoulder, and smacked them all upside their collective heads.

Bucky’s confusion only grew when Tony threaded their fingers together, and squeezed. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m clearly in the hospital, you’re freaked, and there are a bunch of weirdos in costumes staring at me.” Tony chewed on his lower lip, and glanced around again, speaking even quieter, looking down at their joined hands. “And our rings are missing.”

Bucky glanced over his shoulder to find a wide eyed Steve hadn’t missed any of that. “Uh. Rings?”

"Wow, really? Our wedding rings, what other… wait, is this a prank? Not funny! Not even a little."

Which is when Clint burst into hysterics, only stopping with a  _whoomph_  when Natasha elbowed him in the stomach hard enough to make him double over.

"Everyone out of the room," Bruce ordered, but when Bucky went to follow the order, Tony made a high pitched panicked noise, and held on tighter.

"I’m getting the distinct impression something is wrong with me," he babbled, "so until I know what the hell is going on there is  _no way_  my husband is leaving me alone!”

Okay, so maybe ninety percent sure.

+

"I don’t get how it’ll help," Bucky grumbled, arms folded across his chest and a big frown plastered on his face. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Tony was still in his hospital bed, sleeping. "Shouldn’t we try to help him remember his actual life?"

Steve sighed, and quirked a brow at Bruce and the doctors. “He makes a good point.”

"Challenging his reality right now could be bad," the head doctor said, and the other white coats flanking him nodded as one.

“He doesn’t even know his name,” Bruce pointed out, and Bucky grimaced.

"Things should come back to him, but there’s no way to be sure what will trigger it." More nodding from the team of doctors. "Our recommendation is to play along with the one thing he actually remembers, and keep him calm."

“But he  _doesn’t_  remember…” Bucky protested, but it was too late. The white coats were shuffling off, leaving him staring at Steve. “That sound like horseshit to you?”

"A bit, yeah. Look, I know this’ll be weird, Buck, but let’s give it a try. For Tony."

"I’m eighty-five percent sure this isn’t how people get hitched, Stevie."

Steve gave him the look, which meant Bucky was screwed. It also meant he was now playing the role of Mr. Stark, and, no, nothing weird about that, not at all.

"Fine! What about when he’s out of the hospital? It isn’t like we live together, or…" he cleared his throat, and shifted uncomfortably, "anything," he finished lamely.

Just because they didn’t “anything” didn’t mean Bucky hadn’t thought about it. Just once or twice. A minute. Like, every day since meeting Tony.

He’d still been with Pepper when Bucky had come in from the cold, which had been a pretty good reason to keep his mouth shut about the whole instantaneous, entirely unexpected and likely unwanted reaction he’d had when they were introduced.

In walked Tony wearing a confusingly garish yet attractive suit and tie combination, juggling a criminally large cup of coffee, his phone, a tablet, and what looked to be part of a large, robotic insect. Tony had looked up mid-laugh, his eyes scrunched up adorably, and Bucky had actually felt his heart lurch in his chest, and his mouth fall open. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Jeanette MacDonald singing, “ _Ah, sweet mystery of life, at last, I’ve found thee. Ah, at last I know the secret of it all._ ”

And then Pepper had walked in, and the singing had turned into wails of lament as she kissed Tony’s cheek, Bucky’s heart sinking into his boots, then through the floor.

He’d committed himself to thinking of Tony only as a friend, but it was tough. Anytime he walked into the room, Bucky’s heart raced. He was, without a doubt, a willing slave to Tony Stark, not that the genius had any idea. Bucky was positive that if Tony had a clue there was no way he’d spend so much time with him.

Of course, that—the Pepper and Tony thing—had ended rather spectacularly a few weeks later, which was almost seven months ago now. As a result, he and Tony had been spending even  _more_  time together, Bucky making it his personal mission to keep the guy from drinking himself to death, or killing them all with the things he tended to build when in the process of drinking himself to death.

Steve knew this, of course. He’d actually been encouraging Bucky to open his damn mouth and say something about his feelings. Bucky couldn’t do it, though. He’d tried, once or twice, but whenever he’d awkwardly skirted around the topic of  _feelings_ , Tony had looked sad, and nervous, and Bucky would remember Pepper, and then his heart sank, his courage failing him.

Give him bad guys and explosions any day. Anything but having all the little hopes of his heart crushed by rejection.

"I know," Steve grasped his shoulder, dragging him back to the present with a comforting little squeeze. "We’ll all figure this out together."

"We’ll head back to the Tower to prepare," Natasha announced, grabbing Clint by his ear and dragging him off with her.

There was a sound of something crashing, and Bucky was back in the hospital room in a flash, a sheepish Tony half out of the bed, half on the floor, his uneaten lunch tray on the ground.

"Hi." Tony at least had the decency to look ashamed.

"What’re you doing?"

Bucky hooked an arm around Tony’s waist and easily hoisted him back onto the bed, freezing when Tony used this as an opening to wrap his arms around Bucky in what was clearly an embrace. He was trembling.

"Hey," Bucky said. Tony sighed, and shook some more, and so Bucky gave him a squeeze and began stroking his back soothingly.

"This is so freaky," Tony whispered. "I hate this. Are you sure my name is Tony? I don’t _feel_ like a Tony. Do I look like a Tony? What do I even look like?”

“Alright, calm down,” Bucky said softly, pulling Tony into a tighter embrace. Maybe he even closed his eyes and tried to pretend they were hugging under different circumstances. He felt like a bit of a creep enjoying the feeling of Tony in his arms, considering the situation, but Tony was already shaking less, and breathing normally. “Well, your full name is Anthony Edward Stark, but you look like a Tony to me. Course, I’ve only ever called you Tony, so I might be biased.”

This time, the body in his arms shook with laughter. “It sounds way better when you say it, Brooklyn.”

“Really? You don’t remember your name, but you can pick out my accent and give me crap? Punk.”

“That was a compliment,” Tony insisted, lips brushing against Bucky’s neck. “At least I remember this,” he added, giving Bucky another squeeze. “Probably the only reason I haven’t set the building on fire and tried to escape. Can we just go home? Do we have a home? Please tell me we have a home.”

"You— _we_ —have a home, Tony,” he answered. “Maybe seeing it will help you remember.”

Of course, now that he was thinking on it, Bucky wondered how he’d explain “their” home not containing anything other than Tony’s things.

+

"This is where we live?"

Tony had been asking similar questions before they’d even gotten to the Tower. 

"These are my clothes?" and "This is my phone?" and "This is our car?" and "Ooh, are those donuts? Can we get donuts? Let’s get donuts."

"Yup."

"Holy shit," Tony grabbed Bucky’s arm. "We’re loaded, aren’t we?"

"Yeah, you’re loaded."

"We."

Bucky slung his arm around Tony’s shoulders and grinned down at him. “Nope, that was all you, sunshine.”

He’d done it countless times since meeting Tony, but this was the first time Tony had grinned back, slid his arm around Bucky’s waist, then dropped his hand lower to smack him on his ass.

Bucky’s jaw dropped, but Tony had already headed in. This was going to be worse (or was it better?) than he’d expected.

Once inside, JARVIS hijacked the elevator ride and took them directly to Tony’s floor. “Good to see you back, sir. I’ve been informed you’re suffering from amnesia. Allow me to introduce myself, I am…”

"Is that the elevator? We have talking elevators? We’re talking elevator rich?"

"I am not an  _elevator_ ,” JARVIS answered with distaste. “Master Barnes, perhaps…”

"Stark." Bucky grimaced and glared at the nearest camera. "We’re married," Tony pointed out, looking around for the source of the voice.

"Of course, how foolish of me," JARVIS intoned. If he had a body, Bucky was sure he’d be gnashing his teeth right about now.

"JARVIS is an AI, Tony. He’s all through the house and… other things. You created him."

"Sure, why not. I’m mega-rich, live with superhero fetishists, and invented the talking house. Why would I be confused by this?"

Oh, good, he hadn’t forgotten sarcasm at least.

Tony grabbed Bucky’s hand and threaded their fingers together, sighing. “Sorry. This is kind of freaking me out.”

"Understandable."

The elevator came to a stop, and they disembarked, only for Tony to begin complaining. “This place is eerily sterile.”

Tony rushed from one corner of the living room to another, frowning at the furniture, picking items up and putting them back down haphazardly.

"There isn’t a single photo in here."

Bucky shrugged. “You…” He couldn’t exactly say that Tony hardly used his rooms, preferring to spend his time in the workshop or in the lab with Bruce, or on the common floor.

"Wow, okay, this is starting to make creepy sense," Tony decided. "I’m an asshole. I’m actually a fucking rich, selfish, OCD, self centered asshole, and an awful husband. Damn. I don’t  _want_ to be an asshole.”

Bucky rushed over, because Tony looked like he might have started crying. Yup, he was trying to fight off the tears, but they were there.

"Hey, no, you’re not—why would you think that?"

Tony worried at his lower lip and shrugged. “Not one wedding photo?”

"You’re just not… It’s fine, Tony, we, um."

"Called it, I  _so_  called it.”

Bucky stood there wondering how it was Tony could have poor self esteem even when he didn’t remember who he was.

"You’re not an asshole," Bucky swore. "You’re brilliant, funny, charming, and actually really selfless, although it makes you uncomfortable when people point that out. I know for a fact that you keep countless charities up and running. You’re just a bit of a workaholic, and decorations aren’t really important to you."

"You forgot sexy." Tony pointed out.

Bucky fought off a blush. “Didn’t forget it, just didn’t mention it.”

"So you’d agree that I’m sexy." Tony was giving him a look that Bucky really, really liked being on the receiving end of.

"Yeah, Tony, you’re sexy."

Now he was smiling, the bastard. “And you? Are  _stunning_. So I guess I’m doing something right, if you’re willing to put up with me.”

And now he was blushing.

"Come on, soldier, show me the bedroom."

That made him sputter. “Why’d you call me that?” he asked. Tony was already wandering around, trying to find the bedroom.

"Hmm? Oh. Huh, just said it. But you were a soldier, right? Or are one?"

"Yeah."

Tony shrugged, then made a noise of triumph as he found his room.  _Their_  room. No way Bucky was going to be able to explain this away.

Except…

"See, this is more like it. I was beginning to feel like no one actually lived in this joint."

Bucky could only stare, and stare some more, because someone had taken liberties with Tony’s bedroom. As in, they’d moved Bucky into it. He felt like a jackass for not realizing that was what Natasha and Clint had meant by preparing.

There were his clothes in the closet with Tony’s, a few pieces tossed on the bed, as if he’d been changing and then called away. Photos, too, his photos from his room. Him and Steve, a group shot of the Howling Commandos, and the completely embarrassing photo of him and Tony.

They’d all been grilling to celebrate Clint’s birthday, and Tony had been in good spirits for the first time in a long time. He’d been telling Bucky some ridiculous story, and Bucky had been paying more attention to how amazing Tony’s smile was, when Steve had snapped a picture. So there they were, leaning against the balcony, shoulder to shoulder, Tony in the middle of gesturing wildly as he beamed up at Bucky, while an obviously lovesick Bucky smiled down at Tony.

"This!" Tony shouted triumphantly, snatching up the photo and grinning. "We need stuff like this out there, all over the place." He hooked a thumb back towards the living room. "Wow. Alright, I believe you now. I can’t be a total asshole if I can make you smile at me like that."

Bucky had to fight his impulse to snatch the photo out of Tony’s hands and hide it, his heart racing, and his stomach in knots.

"Look at me, though," he said wistfully, "I’m not much better, am I? We look like two idiots in love."

That wasn’t what he’d expected. As much as he might wish it was true, it… Tony was just laughing, he was happy because it was a party, and he’d stopped thinking about his breakup for a minute. Not because of Bucky.

Tony was still smiling when he set the photo back on the nightstand.

"This makes me feel better. Guess I’m not the worst husband after all. I’m so glad I didn’t forget you," he said, almost shyly. "Maybe there are some things even amnesia can’t erase?"

The way Tony was looking at him made Bucky’s heart race, and his fingers twitch, and he wanted it to be true. Being married to Tony would be all kinds of amazing. But it was only a matter of time before Tony’s memories returned, and he was seventy percent sure that pretending to be married didn’t count for  _anything_.

+

Bucky hadn’t been there when Pepper was told. From what Steve had shared this was probably a good thing. She hadn’t exactly reacted well when she’d heard about Tony’s conviction that he was married to Bucky.

It’d taken quite a bit to keep her from flying back to New York, but as it stood, she was going to juggle SI business and keep things hush hush, while the Avengers were going to make sure Tony didn’t leave the Tower. The idea of the press catching wind of the situation was understandably nightmarish.

It was only a matter of time, though.

+

The first night together had been harrowing. Bucky didn’t sleep a wink, just laid on his back staring at the ceiling wondering what he was going to do the next time Tony hinted at sex being a good thing for them to do to kill the time, and/or recover his missing memories.

"With your condition…"

"I get that, sure," Tony didn’t look like he got it, though, he looked like he was going to pounce. "But it isn’t like I don’t remember  _us_.”

Bucky carefully removed Tony’s hand from his thigh, and held it tightly. “We still… There could be something else going on, and. Just. Let’s wait?”

Pouting was a good look on Tony. And he slept naked, apparently. Or was planning to, until Bucky convinced him to use the pajama pants he found in Tony’s dresser. Talking him out of sex was one thing, but there was no talking him out of snuggling. Tony wrapped himself around Bucky, head nestled on his shoulder, and eventually fell asleep that way.

So he stared at the ceiling all through the night, sixty percent sure that, despite spending the night together, with Tony drooling on him adorably, none of it mounted to a hill of beans.

He was going to die from this, no two ways about it.

+

"I’m going to die."

"You’re not, you’re having a panic attack, you do this sometimes."

"It feels like I’m having a heart attack!"

"Tony, shhh, breathing, focus on breathing with me."

Bucky stroked his palm up and down Tony’s back, breathed loudly so Tony could follow along, and managed not to tense up when he found himself with Tony in his arms. That was becoming commonplace these days.

"I’ve got you, it’s okay." Bucky rested his cheek atop Tony’s head, breathing slow and steady, his eyes closed.

"Why did a documentary on deep space travel…"

"Shhh," Bucky rocked him, and Tony wriggled closer, and let Bucky ease him through the attack.

+

“Why was the door locked?”

Bucky popped his head around the shower curtain in a panic, only to find Tony standing there, the locked door apparently only serving as an invitation.

“How did… It was… I’m showering!”

Tony grinned, and started stripping. “I kind of noticed that. Thought I’d join you, and conserve water.”

“JARVIS,” Bucky squeaked, ducking back behind the shower curtain, hoping the AI would hear him, and somehow come to his rescue.

“Sir, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there is an urgent call for you.”

Bucky was so grateful that if JARVIS had a body he would have planted a big wet one on him. He toweled off, dressed quickly, and was out of the bathroom while Tony was still arguing with the AI over the importance of not interrupting him with supposedly urgent calls that he then managed to disconnect.

From then on, Bucky showered in the gym locker room.

+

Bucky was eating breakfast when it happened, which is the only reason he didn’t stop it. He’d foolishly let his guard down.

He’d just swallowed a mouthful of orange juice when Tony swooped in, took him by the chin, tilted his face up, and kissed him.  _Kissed him_  kissed him, tenderly, and with great enthusiasm, tugging on Bucky’s lower lip with his teeth, then sliding his tongue past lips opened in surprise, and then Bucky had to kiss back, right? It would have been suspicious otherwise, so he did, and it was amazing, it was so much more than he’d even dreamed it’d be.

Tony moaned into his mouth, and had his hands in Bucky’s hair, and seemed to just melt against him, his lips the right amount of soft, but firm, and his beard just the right sort of scratchy, and he tasted like strong coffee, and sucked on Bucky’s tongue, and  _oh_ , how had he ever lived without this?

More importantly, how could he be expected to go on living without having it again?

Which is what made him remember that Tony didn’t actually feel this way about him, not even a little bit. Although it physically hurt to do so, Bucky ended the kiss. That was when he realized Tony was straddling him, that he’d pulled the smaller man onto his lap at some point, and the weight of him there was just wonderful.

Tony gave him the bedroom eyes, and sort of rolled his hips, rocking against Bucky’s erection, and… This was bad. Bad, bad,  _bad_!

"No wonder," Tony sighed, stroking the side of Bucky’s face. "There’s no way I could forget someone who kisses like that."

Tony’s expression was tender, and adoring, and made Bucky feel like a dirtbag. 

"Uh, I have to… Steve needs me to report for duty."

Tony pressed another kiss against his lips. “To be continued, then.”

+

"We have to tell him!"

Steve placed a comforting hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Bucky’s right. Playing along at first was one thing, but it doesn’t seem to be helping.”

The doctors stared at them blankly, looked at each other, then as a group flipped through their charts. They creeped Bucky out big time. “Are we sure they’re not with HYDRA?”

Steve elbowed him, but then seemed to reconsider. He glanced at Bruce, who just shrugged.

"He has remembered some things," the head of the team finally said. “We recommend continuing.”

Bucky’s hands were fisted at his sides, and it was only because Steve hadn’t let go of his shoulder that kept him from lunging in anger. “I’m _lying_  to him, it’s… When he gets his memories back, he’s going to  _hate_  me, and I can’t…”

Because he’d already let it go too far, and when Tony was Tony again, there was no way he’d be happy about playing house with Bucky. About having his trust violated, even if he’d started the whole kissing in the kitchen thing in the first place. Bucky was supposed to be his friend, and that wasn’t being a good friend, not even close!

He was going to have to share a bed with the guy again, and each night it was more difficult to keep Tony at arm’s length. It’d been a week of sleepless nights and early mornings, him extracting himself from the warmth and comfort of having Tony in his arms, or curled beside him in order to avoid any… situations that might arise.

He needed actual sleep!

Worse, if the kitchen was any indication, as soon as he got back to the Tower, Tony was going to jump him. If he wasn’t already suspicious, Bucky locking himself in a closet to avoid caving into his own desires was definitely going to send up some red flags.

“He is progressing. Carry on.”

They  _had_  to be with HYDRA. Bucky was fifty-five percent sure.

+

“What we need,” and it pained him to say it, “is Pepper.”

He could already see it in his mind. Pepper would walk in, and just like that, Tony would remember her, which would cause a chain reaction, until he remembered everything. Maybe, just maybe, he’d even forgive Bucky for being weak willed.

Bucky loved Tony, and if the only way he could be with him was as a friend, then that would have to be enough. If he couldn’t even have that much, though… Well. It might be a good idea to start thinking about somewhere else to live. Siberia wasn’t so bad, really, when you got down to it.

“I’ll call her,” Steve offered, and he wasn’t the only Avenger to give Bucky a sympathetic pat on the shoulder on the way out.

+

Tony was in the kitchen, cooking, which was weird, since Bucky hadn’t realized that was something Tony knew how to do. He was also talking to JARVIS, apparently unaware that Bucky had come home.

“JARVIS… Before the accident.”

“Yes, sir?” JARVIS prompted when Tony grew quiet.

Bucky perked up, hoping Tony had remembered something, while also being terrified that he’d remembered.

“Um. Did Bucky and I have a fight, or something?”

That wasn’t what he’d expected to overhear.

“Not that I’m aware of, sir. Why do you ask?”

Bucky leaned around the corner, watched as Tony shrugged his shoulders. He was sort of slumped over the cutting board, his back to Bucky, and his posture alone spoke volumes.

“I dunno. He just.” Tony sighed, and slumped further. “I love him so much, you know? And it’s like he can’t stand to be around me. I just thought maybe we’d been fighting, and I’d forgotten and he was still upset, but trying to be cool about it.”

JARVIS was quiet for a moment, but then surprised Bucky by saying, “Based on what I’ve observed, he cares a great deal for you, sir. I believe he wishes to be respectful, is perhaps concerned that once you regain your memories, you might feel differently.”

Tony stopped chopping. “What if I never get my memories back? I’m not an idiot. I know I’ve got to be different like this, and it’s weird for him, I get that. Just…” Tony exhaled, his breathing ragged. When he spoke again, it was soft, and heartbreaking. “I don’t know what I’d do if he left me.”

Bucky backed away from the kitchen, hand over his mouth, and ran to find Steve.

“It’s not fair,” he sobbed.

“I know, Buck, I know.”

“This isn’t…”

Because it wasn’t. Who in their right mind would want this? Tony thought he loved him, but he was wrong, and Bucky was hurting him by not reciprocating, but if he  _did_ , if he let himself cave in and show Tony how much he loved him back? And… and he remembered… and…

He was at least forty-five percent sure Tony would never speak to him again.

+

Tony walked into the room, slowing as he entered, perhaps confused or surprised to find everyone there, waiting for him. Staring.

“S’up, people?”

Pepper stepped out from behind Steve. “Tony?”

Bucky watched Tony’s face anxiously, feeling like he was about to puke, waiting for the epiphany, the moment when Tony’s memories came flooding back, and he rushed into Pepper’s arms, and…

“Hey.” Tony gave her a little wave, then looked around until he spotted Bucky, skulking at the back of the room. “Oh,  _there_  you are. I’ve been trying to track you down for an hour. Can we talk for a minute, maybe, like… alone?”

“Tony,” Pepper tried again, taking a step forward.

“Not now, Pep,” he said, apparently oblivious to the ripple this sent through the room. “Buck, seriously, me and you, just… give me five minutes? Please?”

Now all eyes were on him, including a confused and slightly irritated Pepper. “I just flew here from…”

Tony’s head rolled back on his shoulders and he groaned at the ceiling. “I appreciate that, really, Pepper. Thank you. Can I maybe have five minutes with my husband though?”

“Tony, I know this is going to be hard to hear, but… you’re not married.”

Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at his shoes. The room was quiet, waiting for Tony’s response.

“Look, I get that you made the trip, and you’re worried—thanks again, really—but I just want to talk to…”

“Tony, this is important. You’re not married to him.”

“Bucky?”

And he couldn’t keep looking at his shoes, he had to look up, and there was Tony all big brown eyes, with the little honey colored flecks, standing a few feet away, looking at him like he was the most important thing in the world, and it just…

“She’s right,” Bucky blurted, taking a deep breath, and standing up straight. “I wish she wasn’t, but she is. We’re not married.”

Tony pressed his lips into a thin line, and shook his head. “We’re gonna do this here then, in front of everybody? Fine. That’s  _bullshit_ , and you know it.”

Tony sounded angry now, which wasn’t any better. Bucky was only twenty-five percent sure he would be able to survive what happened next, but he’d only brought it upon himself, so there wasn’t much to do except take a few steps closer, and let Tony say his peace.

“Tony….”

But Tony swung his arms, demanding silence, and began talking.

“The first time I saw you, I had on that yellow shirt orange tie combo that you never fail to tease me over, which is hilarious, because you know I rock that— _hard_. So, I walk into my own home in a really good mood because I’d blown the living fuck out of these really cool robotic insects and was gonna show Bruce my leftovers, only to find the most amazing pair of blue eyes staring at me like… It was like being back in the desert, desperate for the sight of water; that’s how striking your stupid eyes are. It only got better though, because you’re stunning in every possible way, in case I haven’t mentioned that, and I swear to god, if you laugh, I will smack you, but I actually heard music when I saw you smile.”

Bucky felt like the room was spinning around him, felt like he was going to pass out, or puke, or…

“Who told you?”

Tony blinked, scrunching his face up. “Who told me what?”

Bucky, swallowed, and took another step forward, feeling panicked and confused. “Tony, that was  _my_  reaction when I saw  _you_. I never even told Steve about the music! How the hell did you find out?”

Tony was smiling now, though, an amazing, amazing little smile, the anger long gone. “That, too, the accent? Kills me. Every time you open your mouth, I want to just roll around kicking my feet like some sort of lovesick kid—it’s awful. Even worse, I actually like all the shit you say, which is rare for me, Pepper can vouch for that, most people bore the life out of me.”

Bucky wondered if he’d had some sort of episode, that he was actually hallucinating, because none of this made sense. He was maybe ten percent sure Tony  _remembered_ , but that… but that maybe…

“So, yeah, I get that we’re not married yet, fine, but did it ever occur to you that my amnesia marriage convictions actually stemmed from real feelings? Like… something that I want—that I’ve wanted—which is you, and me, trying a whole ‘us’ thing instead?”

“Wait…”

Tony grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and pulled Bucky into a kiss, which was a little bit like the kitchen kiss in its intensity, but entirely unlike the kitchen kiss in other regards. It was shier, for a start, as if Tony was expecting Bucky to push him away.

Hand curled around the back of Bucky’s neck, Tony brought their foreheads together, and whispered, “In case it’s not obvious, I got my memories back.”

Bucky jerked back in surprise, then grabbed Tony as he saw disappointment begin to spread across his face. “You remember?”

“Yeah.”

The room erupted in conversation, and congratulations, but it all sounded like white noise to Bucky. He could only stare, his heart lurching in his chest, while Tony smiled up at him hopefully.

“So what do you think? Want to maybe, ah, see where this whole you and me thing takes us?”

“Absolutely, one hundred percent, yes,” Bucky blurted. 

He swept Tony up into his arms, unable to get the stupid smile off of his face. This time he was the one to start the kissing, and was  _pretty_  sure he heard Pepper exclaim, “Finally!” when he did.

Like, ninety percent sure.


End file.
